Lady Vols Reveal 2025-26 Non-Conference Slate

Friday, August 1, 2025
UT Sports

Tennessee Women's Basketball Head Coach Kim Caldwell shared her program's non-conference schedule on Friday, and nine of the Lady Vols' opponents saw postseason play in 2024-25, including four teams ranked in ESPN's 2025-26 "Way Too Early" Top 25.

Among them are 2025 NCAA Final Four participants UConn and UCLA. The defending champion Huskies are No.

2 in ESPN's preseason poll, while UCLA is No. 3, and UT will face both on the road. The Big Orange women also face No. 9 NC State in the season opener and No. 17 Louisville at the Shark Beauty Women's Champions Classic in neutral site contests in Greensboro, N.C. and Brooklyn, N.Y., respectively.

"Including our conference opponents, our schedule includes the top six teams and 10 of the top 20-ranked programs in the early preseason polls," Caldwell said. "We have our work cut out for us, but I believe our challenging non-conference opponents will better prepare us for what we're going to see in the Southeastern Conference.

"We're a little out of balance in terms of home and away ranked opponents, and that's something that takes some time to even out. We'll continue to work on it going forward, but I think this year it will allow us to really test our players and get them ready for conference play."

After facing three in-state non-league opponents a year ago, Tennessee will face four this season, including Belmont and East Tennessee State at home and Middle Tennessee State and UT Martin on the road. The Lady Vols will travel to Belmont and host MTSU in 2026-27.

Including previously announced SEC opponents, UT is guaranteed to play 14 of its 28 total contests vs. teams making last year's NCAA field. The total of foes seeing postseason action rises to 20 when including those who competed in the 2025 WBIT and WNIT events.

Including SEC games, ten match-ups for the Big Orange in 2025-26 will be against teams ranked in the ESPN Way-Too-Early preseason poll. Among them are home tilts vs. No. 4 Texas and No. 17 Vanderbilt, road contests at No. 1 South Carolina, No. 2 UConn, No. 3 UCLA, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 13 Ole Miss, and neutral site battles with No. 9 NC State and No. 17 Louisville. Season tickets are available now at AllVols.com.

The Lady Vols take the floor for their first contest on Oct. 29, as Columbus State (Ga.) comes to Knoxville for an exhibition. The Lady Vols then begin the regular season vs. No. 9 NC State in the Battle of the 'Boro on Nov. 4 before returning to Food City Center to welcome East Tennessee State for the home opener on Nov. 7. Caldwell's club appears at home twice more during the month vs. Belmont on Nov. 13 and against Coppin State on Nov. 23, and it plays at UT Martin on Nov. 9, Middle Tennessee State on Nov. 20 and No. 3 UCLA on Nov. 30.

December begins with the second game of a West Coast swing at Stanford as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge on Dec. 3, followed by Winthrop at home on Dec. 14, vs. No. 17 Louisville at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Dec. 20 and then Southern Indiana at Food City Center on Dec. 22 to close out the 2025 portion of the schedule. A trip to face UConn concludes the non-conference slate of games on Feb. 1, with the contest slated to be held at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.

Columbus State – Exhibition Game (Oct. 29)

This is the first meeting between UT and CSU.
The Cougars compete at the NCAA Division II level and made the Southeast Regional Round of 32 last season.
CSU was 21-9 in 2024-25 and 14-4 in the Peach Belt Conference.

Vs. NC. State in Greensboro, N.C. (Nov. 4)

NC State is ranked No. 9 in ESPN's "Way Too Early" Top 25.
This marks the 17th meeting between these programs.
Tennessee leads the series, 12-4.
The teams last met on March 25, 2024, when the Wolfpack prevailed, 79-72, in the NCAA Second Round in Raleigh.
NC State finished 28-7, tied for the ACC regular-season title at 16-2 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 last season.

East Tennessee State (Nov. 7)

This marks the 29th meeting between these schools in women's basketball.
UT leads the all-time series, 25-2-1, and has won the past 23 times they've met.
The teams last met in Knoxville on Dec. 20, 2021, with the Lady Vols winning, 112-58.
The Buccaneers finished 17-13 a year ago, finishing 8-6 in the Southern Conference.

At UT Martin (Nov. 9)

This marks the 18th meeting between these teams
Tennessee leads the all-time series, 15-2
The teams last met on Nov. 7, 2024, with the Lady Vols prevailing, 90-50.
The Skyhawks finished 13-19 a year ago, including 10-10 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Belmont (Nov. 13)

This marks the 12th meeting between these programs.
The Bruins lead the all-time series, 6-5.
The teams last met on March 21, 2022, with UT getting a late Sara Puckett trey to hold on, 70-67, in the NCAA Second Round in Knoxville.
Belmont was 26-13 overall and 15-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference last season.
BU advanced to the WBIT Championship game before falling to Minnesota, 75-63.

At Middle Tennessee (Nov. 20)

This is the 25th meeting between these programs
UT is 23-1 all-time vs. Middle Tennessee
The Lady Vols claimed an 89-75 victory over the Blue Raiders in the last meeting on Nov. 12, 2024, in Knoxville.
MTSU was 26-9 a year ago, tying for first in Conference USA at 16-2.
The Blue Raiders fell in the WBIT First Round to Belmont.

Coppin State (Nov. 23)

This will mark the first-ever meeting between these programs.
CSU is located in Baltimore and is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
The Eagles are coached by Darrell Mosley, who is in his first season after serving as an assistant coach and then associate head coach at Arizona State since 2022.
Coppin State finished 19-15 overall and 8-6 in the MEAC in 2024-25.
CSU advanced to the second round of the WNIT before bowing out.

At UCLA (Nov. 30)

UCLA is ranked No. 3 in ESPN's "Way Too Early" Top 25.
This will mark the 22nd meeting between these programs.
Tennessee leads the all-time series, 18-3.
The last meeting occurred on Nov. 20, 2022, when the Bruins claimed an 80-63 victory over the Lady Vols in the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas.
UCLA went 34-3 overall and finished second in the Big Ten last season at 16-2.
The Bruins advanced to their first-ever NCAA Final Four in 2025, falling to UConn in the semifinals, 85-51.

At Stanford (Dec. 3)

This will be the 40th meeting between these programs.
Tennessee leads the all-time series, 25-14.
The teams last met on Dec. 18, 2022, with the No. 2-ranked Cardinal prevailing, 77-70.
Stanford finished 16-15 overall and 8-10 in ACC play a year ago.
SU missed the 2025 NCAA Tournament but appeared in the WBIT before falling in the first round to Portland.

Winthrop (Dec. 14)

This is the seventh meeting between Tennessee and Winthrop.
UT holds a 4-2 advantage in the series.
The teams last met on Dec. 29, 2024, with the Lady Vols racing to a 114-50 victory.
Winthrop finished 16-15 last season, including 9-7 in the Big South.
LVFL Semeka Randall Lay has led the Eagles since 2020-21.

Vs. Louisville in Brooklyn, N.Y. (Dec. 20)

Louisville is ranked No. 17 in ESPN's "Way Too Early" Top 25.
This will mark the sixth meeting between the Lady Vols and Cardinals.
UL holds a 3-2 lead in the all-time series.
Louisville defeated UT, 76-64, in Wichita, Kan., on March 26, 2022, in the NCAA Sweet 16 the last time these squads met.
The Cardinals finished 22-11 a year ago, including 13-5 in the ACC.
UL fell in the 2025 NCAA Second Round at TCU.

Southern Indiana (Dec. 22)

This will mark the first meeting between these programs.
Southern Indiana is coached by Rick Stein.
USI went 23-13, including 12-8 in the Ohio Valley Conference, last season.
The Eagles advanced to the second round of the 2025 WNIT.
Last season, Southern Indiana lost a 67-63 heart-breaker at Indiana on Dec. 4.

At UConn (Feb. 1)

Ranked No. 2 in ESPN's "Way Too Early" Top 25.
This will mark the 28th meeting between Tennessee and UConn.
The Huskies hold a 17-10 all-time series lead.
No. 19/17 Tennessee won last year's contest, 80-76, in Knoxville over No. 5 UConn to end a four-game losing skid in the series.
The Huskies finished 37-3 overall and 18-0 a year ago to capture the BIG EAST Conference crown.
After losing at UT, the Huskies won their last 16 games of the season to claim the 2025 NCAA Championship.